VOX Box: Countdown 7 - July
Characters * Rupert Thorne * Phosphorus * Carlton Duquesne * Neon * Penguin * Ignatius Ogilvy * "Deacon" Blackfire Location * Tobacconists' Club, Gotham City, NJ * July 5th 2016, 0101 Local Time VOX Archive * Penguin: opens, waddling footsteps, footsteps * Carlton Duquesne: Penguin. * Penguin: footsteps Mr. Duquesne. I hear we just had an unpropitious setback. * Ignatius Ogilvy: Allow me, sir... slides on floor * Penguin: clatter Thank you, Ignatius. * Ignatius Ogilvy: My pleasure, sir. foorsteps * Carlton Duquesne: If you mean we got hit, yeah, then the answer is yes, we did. * Rupert Thorne: crank, flame crackle, cigar lighting, clatter, puff, puff And how exactly could that have happened? * Carlton Duquesne: I don't know yet. I got my men looking into it. * Penguin: '''For all we know it is your... men, that were the problem. * '''Neon: I'd watch what you say, bird-man. footsteps Or we gonna have problems, you and I. * Carlton Duquesne: Thomas, hold your tongue and temper... Let me deal with this. You're here for security. Not to run your mouth. * Neon: throat clears, footsteps Yes, sir, Mr. Duquesne. My apologies... * Carlton Duquesne: As I was about to say, no one but the three of us at this table and our lieutenants knew about last night's shipment. * Rupert Thorne: Well, someone did. puff * Carlton Duquesne: Maybe instead of pointing fingers, we focus on making an example out of whoever hit us. * Penguin: Hmm... What do we know of who hit us? Was it Batman? * Carlton Duquesne: Not from what my men said... * Neon: Batman don't wear neckties and pack heat. * Penguin: No, that would not do at all. Not his style. * Rupert Thorne: A man in tights and cape, without the sense to use a gun? puff What is it about this city? The water? * Carlton Duquesne: This is the third lossin as many months. First the police pinched our men on the docks, then Penguin's warehouse was hit by Batman. Now, our warehouse in Otisburg gets hit by this crew with the fancy hardware. I've got the triad, the Massive, and the Black Light Tribe putting the rest on lockdown. No way we get hit again. So if one of you two can have your men hit the streets hard and get the details on this crew, we can pay them a visit and get back to business. * Penguin: Forgive me if I'm not so sanguine. Bruno has paid us substantially to guarantee these arms get to his overseas cache. If we can't deliver, they'll... Well, I don't think anyone needs to be reminded of CRIME's many horror stories. * Rupert Thorne: Our freighter is due in Gotham in three months' time. puff It will be our largest shipment to date. If we have another loss or we don't have this crew dealt with, our organization is going to require some substantial re-organization. * Carlton Duquesne: Why are you looking at me? * Phosphorus: You're supposed to be our muscle, Mr. Duquesne. Start flexing. * Carlton Duquesne: Watch it, Sartorius. I'm the Traid's deputy Mountain Master in this city. You know what that means? * Phosphorus: Not a clue, nor do I care... But I do know what deputy means. It means you work for someone... * Penguin: Indeed, Phosphorus has a point, Mr. Duquesne. I am most certain that the most gracious Chien Na Wei will be decidedly less than pleased if you fail to deliver on this arra- * Mutant: flung open, footsteps * Ignatius Ogilvy: Excuse me, sir. This is a private meeting. I'm afraid you'll need to- * Neon: The Sons of Batman? footsteps Let me handle this. * Mutant: footsteps, grunt * "Deacon" Blackfire: Easy there, Mutant... We're here to talk. No need for violence. Isn't that, right, Thomas? * Neon: I ain't afraid of your freak, Deacon. unholstered * Rupert Thorne: Carlton, have the boy holster that weapon. puff We just replaced the carpet in here. * Carlton Duquesne: Neon- * Neon: Yeah, okay... I heard him. holstered But any funny business and I shoot you first, Deacon. * Penguin: Well, Deacon, was it? You have our attention... You want to talk? So let us do that. Please, take a seat. * "Deacon" Blackfire: footsteps My apologies for the unannounced visit at this dreadful hour. slides on floor, clatter, feet propped on table top But I hear getting a membership here can be a rather costly venture. So, I felt just dropping in like this was the best way to go about it. chuckle Word on the street is that you guys got hit and this has put you between the metaphorical rock and the proverbial hard place... or in more blunt terms: a real cluster expletive. * Rupert Thorne: I assume you have some sort of information on this crew. puff * "Deacon" Blackfire: Crew? No. No idea. * Carlton Duquesne: Then what use are you to us? * "Deacon" Blackfire: chuckle Let's just say that Bruno and I are business associates with similar interests. * Penguin: You work for Bruno Mannheim? * "Deacon" Blackfire: chuckle I don't work for him. I serve a, let us say, higher power. But, it so happens that Bruno's interests align with those of my master so I would like to aid you fine gentlemen in fulfilling your agreement with Bruno. * Rupert Thorne: Interesting... puff What exactly can you offer us? * "Deacon" Blackfire: We have a large number of associates who could help you find this crew you mentioned. * Penguin: And what would you like in exchange? * "Deacon" Blackfire: Just what I have now... A seat at this table. * Carlton Duquesne: chuckle You're joking. No way we can cut you in for a quarter of the profit. * "Deacon" Blackfire: No, I would not accept it even if you did... No. Not without showing you that our services are worth such a hefty sum. * Penguin: You seek to be a partner on all future transactions, is that it? * "Deacon" Blackfire: That would be correct. * Rupert Thorne: puff So this capture of the three person crew would be... what exactly? An audition? * "Deacon" Blackfire: An offering. chuckle And to sweaten the pot a little more... whistle Mutant? Show the boys in. * Mutant: heavy footsteps, silence: 10.4 seconds, heavy footsteps, footsteps: 5 instances, clatter, clatter, clatter * Penguin: Is that what I think that is? * Phosphorus: Boss, those are our- * Rupert Thorne: You got our weapons out of GCPD's evidence lock-up? H-How? * "Deacon" Blackfire: chuckle Do we have a deal? Trivia and Notes * Story continues from VOX Box: Countdown 6 - June. * Story continues in VOX Box: Countdown 8 - August. * This is an updated version of VOX Box: Countdown - 6 Months Ago. Links and References * VOX Box: Countdown 7 - July Category:VOX Box Category:Rupert Thorne/Appearances Category:Alexander Sartorius/Appearances Category:Carlton Duquesne/Appearances Category:Thomas Chatham/Appearances Category:Oswald Cobblepot/Appearances Category:Ignatius Ogilvy/Appearances Category:Joseph Blackfire/Appearances Category:Tobacconists' Club/Appearances Category:Gotham City/Appearances